An Unfair Act of Vengeance
Notes: I know there wasn't much with Nick actually in it last chapter, but I needed to get some of that stuff done, and after this chapter the attention should shift back towards him. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well, and I am always grateful for reviews!
Summary: Catherine updates Nick and Grissom, and once she leaves Grissom tries to console Nick on the bad news. The team continues investigating Grissom's office, and Greg finds some startling information. Meanwhile Catherine gets back only to find Nick's distraught parents trying to find out what's going on. She takes them inside to the break room to update them, but they are interrupted…
Her eyes surveyed the two officers standing watch outside Nick's front door. Grissom's SUV was still there, as was Nick's Denali, and two squad cars... Well that's reassuring...
"Hey, anyone watching the other entry points?"
"Oh, hey Catherine, we've been waiting for someone else to show up. Yeah, John is watching the back door, and Kate is taking her turn walking the perimeter..."
"Ok, Grissom still in there?"
"Yeah, he told us to keep everyone out, but I guess he wouldn't mind if we let you in. Just don't sneak up on him, or he's liable to get really really pissed..."
"Sounds like you're talking from experience Freddie..."
"Yeah, and... well, I guess I can't blame him after everything that's happened..."
"Yeah... well, I promise you, that I won't be sneaking up on anyone..."
"Well, in you go, ma'am."
Grissom's head snapped up as he heard the soft knock from the doorway. He slowly took his eyes off Nick who was still thrashing mildly in the midst of his nightmares... He glared at the door for a moment until he heard who it was on the other side.
"Gil... please... I need to talk to you, can I come in?" she whispered just loudly enough for someone to hear on the other side.
"It's unlocked, but try not to make too much noise... he's asleep... sort of..."
She cautiously opened the door, and crept in. Tears began to form in her eyes when she finally saw Nick...
"He doesn't look good..."
"He looks better, Catherine... at least he isn't quite as pale..."
She looked at his still pasty skin... if this was better than before... she froze as her foot landed and made a fairly loud noise as the floorboard creaked.
"Sorry..." she whispered even more quietly.
"It's ok, I just may have to suspend you for a week sometime..."
"Uh... actually Gil... that's part of why I'm here... a whole lot has uh... happened since you turned your phone off..."
"Well, why don't you fill me in, quietly of course..."
"Ok, most importantly, there are four more possible henchmen that work for Alberts out there on the loose. And one or more of them broke into your office."
"What happened, did they take anything?"
"No, actually, they left a container of fire ants, and a pool of blood on your desk... Plus, they pinned a picture of Nick to the ceiling of your office with a bloodied knife."
He sighed, and forced himself not to squeeze the still injured hand any harder... "They must've collected some of his from before..."
"Yeah, I wasn't so sure... until now... I can't tell you how relieved I was to see him lying here..."
"It isn't very comforting though... he should be at work, or taking a day off and jogging, or watching birds... almost anything other than lying here and having nightmares that we can't even begin to imagine. But, what's this about me no longer getting to suspend you? Did they fire me for not showing up today or what?"
"Oh, no... nothing that drastic... uh... well, it could be a few years before Ecklie can come back to work, and the other two supervisors don't have anyone fit to replace them..."
"So, you got the temporary promotion... congratulations..."
"Yeah... right... I don't want to have to deal with the media any more than you do ... and the thought of being stuck behind a desk just takes the meaning out of the job. No more solving the puzzles... you know?"
"Well, I hope it'll just be temporary... for your sake..."
"Yeah, but... how do you think Nick is really doing?"
"Not good..." he sighed before going on, "Mark told me that Nick is most likely suffering from Hypoadrenia... so he's going to be extremely prone to depression... mood disorders... the whole nine yards..."
"Listen to me, Gil, he's going to be ok. You know how I can tell? Just look at his hand. Sure you're holding his hand, but he's holding on too... he isn't gone Gil..." she placed her hand on his shoulder, and gave him a quick hug. "And, don't forget... he reached out to you... sure it took some coaxing, but it happened. From what Warrick told me he was holding onto you for dear life..."
"I guess he was... and, Catherine... please... let the team know... tell them I'm proud of all of them... I need them to know how much they all mean to me. If something were to happen to any of them, and I couldn't tell them... I don't want to make the same mistakes with them as I did with Nick..."
Her hand wiped the single tear that he had felt crawling slowly down his face. She quickly gave him another, longer hug.
"Ok, Gil... I know it'll mean a lot to all of them..."
They froze as Nick cried out loudly beside them. He was beginning to thrash more violently, and Grissom quickly pulled free from Catherine, and grabbed a cold soaking washcloth from a bucket next him. Catherine watched sadly as he wiped Nick's forehead, and then the rest of his face...
Suddenly his eyes opened wide. He took in several deep gasps for air, and let out a few sobs before he allowed himself to look around. The sight was more comforting than he had thought possible. His eyes focused on his supervisor, and he could feel himself begin to relax as he saw his lightly bandaged hand still being held reassuringly... then he saw her... though his eyes hadn't quite fully adjusted, he could see the red hair begin to come into focus. No... I can't... I can't look... He quickly averted his eyes back down to his hand... Why? What does she expect from me?
Catherine stayed silent. She could feel the man's discomfort as soon as he had realized she was there, and he had quickly dropped his head. Just give him time... he won't let you down. He can't, not anymore...
"I... I'm s-sorry, Catherine... I..."
"Well, if you're apologizing for not saying hello when I first came in... I forgive you... but if you're even thinking of apologizing for anything else I might just cry."
He wasn't entirely sure as to why, but something made his eyes look up at her. Maybe it was just the sarcasm, but he had the feeling that it was because he couldn't imagine seeing her really breaking down and crying. He flashed a quick grin, but it soon disappeared as he grimaced with pain.
It was all she needed to smile warmly at him, and she quickly knelt beside him and rested her hand on his shoulder. She could see him flinch slightly, but he didn't recoil... he didn't do anything to suggest that she should get away from him...
"It's nice to see you again, Nick. I was uh... just here to... see you... and to brag to Gil about my promotion..."
"How are they?" he managed to whisper, but his voice was quiet and he could tell that it showed his fear just as much as his eyes...
"Well, the DA... didn't... uh... make it, but Ecklie ought to be fine in a couple of... well it could be a few years before they even think of letting him take his job back..."
"Oh..." He could see the parking lot as if he was standing right there... he forced himself to open his eyes once more as he watched them collapse, blood spraying everywhere... He shook his head slightly, and focused his attention once more on Grissom's hands that were still holding onto him. It was comforting, and he wasn't sure why he needed someone that he had been so sure had had no feelings about him whatsoever, to be there then, simply sitting there... providing some strange sense of safety, calm, and maybe even happiness...
Her eyes glanced back at Grissom. Well... he can read lips, and I'm not sure if Nick should get this news from me... She placed her other hand on the supervisor's shoulder to draw his attention. Should we tell him?
Grissom quickly looked away from his new boss, and back down at Nick who was staring once more at their interlocking hands... He sighed, and slowly nodded.
"Nick..."
"Yeah..." he groaned softly, as he felt his leg begin to throb more painfully.
"Listen... uh... I... we've... got some news, that you won't like..."
"What else is new Grissom? I haven't liked much of anything I've heard recently..." He was getting tired again, but he couldn't let himself be thrown back into those nightmares...
"Dr... He... had some accomplices... and there are still a few out there now..."
"Great... so basically I'm a sitting duck... how long do you think I have before one of them comes along and decides to take me out?"
"Listen, Nick... I promise you... that isn't going to happen. We've got some guys here, they're standing watch at your doors, and they're making sure no one can come close without proper authorization…"
"That won't stop them…" His eyes fell once more to rest on the hand still holding his… it wasn't quite as reassuring now…
"We're going to find them, Nick. It's only a matter of time…" Grissom said solemnly, his eyes fell down to their interlocking hands… We'll find them. Even if it's the last thing I do…
Warrick slowly moved around the room, he had photographed everything, and wasn't too keen on the growing crowd outside in the hall. That's it… we need to get this moving, and we can't do that with everyone out there…
"Hey! Everyone, listen up! You all have something to do, and if you don't then look around, there are plenty of things to do around here, for everyone, so stop standing around here, and move on!"
His eyes glared at the few reluctant people who had stayed behind. Hodges slowly made his way closer.
"Uh… Warrick… is… is Nick ok?"
"I don't know, just get back to work, you'll know as soon as everyone else if Nick is ok, got it?"
"Yeah… I hope you nail the guys who are doing this…"
"We will. Don't you worry… we will…" he sighed…
Sara carefully lifted the door, but as she moved to reposition it against the wall Warrick caught a glimpse of something on the inside of the door…
"Sara… turn the door around… carefully…"
"Ok…" her jaw dropped open as they saw the other side was plastered with pictures of Nick during various stages of his abduction…
"So, when are we going to move on this guy?"
"I don't know, Danny… the Boss said we'd know when the time was right… that he'd make sure we were informed."
"Well, I'm starting to enjoy this little show even more. I can't wait until we get to finish this…"
"Look, you guys… I'm sorry, but I've got to get back… they need all the help they can get. It's good to see you Nick… it really is, and Gil's right. We'll catch these guys in no time."
He watched her leave… before turning his eyes once more to his supervisor.
"Why… why can't I just be normal Grissom? Why does everyonego afterme?"
"I don't know Nick. People are… they're capable of terrible things… I guess… I'd have to say they go after you… because… they fear you… they fear your job… Listen… we can't understand them, not really, just remember that it isn't anyone's fault but theirs…"
"Excuse me? I'm trying to find some way to find a Gil Grissom… they won't let us anywhere past the main door there…"
The receptionist looked up at the older couple standing there with tears in their eyes. She recognized them instantly. Even though she didn't know Nick very well, she could tell they were related just by seeing their eyes.
"You must be Judge Stokes, and Mrs. Stokes, right?"
"Yes, and I need to talk with someone, anyone, that works with our son…"
"Alright… I'll call Catherine Willows, she should be able to help you…"
She stopped as she spotted the new Assistant Deputy Director heading towards the wall of security guards that were blocking any access into the lab. I've got to hand it to them… they're definitely taking their job seriously…
"Catherine!"
She stopped, and turned to see the receptionist waving for her. She looked for any obvious reason why she was being beckoned, and her eyes quickly took in Nick's parents.
"Hello, I'm sorry we keep meeting under these circumstances, but what can I do for you?"
"We want to know why our son won't even let us see him!" the judge asked, forcing himself to stay calm. He wasn't mad at her. His anger was aimed solely at the bastard that had so brutally tortured his son…
"Why don't you two follow me. I'll get us somewhere a bit quieter so that we can talk…"
She quickly led them past the security guards and down the hall towards the break room. She frowned as they passed Grissom's office and she saw the pictures of Nick that covered the entire side of the door Warrick and Sara were now snapping shots of…
"What the hell happened in there? Why are there photos of my son all over the place?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Stokes, please, just come in here, and I'll try to explain…"
She opened the door, and held back the look of relief when she found the room empty.
"We don't know anything, for God's sake. We don't even know what our son went through!"
"I know that, Mrs. Stokes, but…"
"Listen, I know you, and your team are all close friends to our son, but I want answers, and I want them now. Damn the rules, or whatever it is that's holding you back. We have the right to know what our son went through!"
"Bill… calm down…"
"I'll calm down when I get some answers!" he replied heatedly, his voice slowly rising.
"Ok…" She didn't get the chance to finish as she saw Sara and Warrick passing, their voices easily passed into the room…
"This never should've happened to him Sara…"
"But it did. We can't change that."
"He deserves better… no one should have to go through all this…"
"You're right, Warrick, but he did. This Alberts guy did some terrible…"
"No, not just that… I can't understand how he managed to ever trust anyone… If I had been molested at that age… or had a stalker… I wouldn't have been able to cope…"
Catherine was speechless as she saw the looks of shock creep into the faces of the couple sitting across from her.
"N-no… no… there must be some mistake… none of our children were ever…" she found it impossible to say the word, and she stared nervously at her husband, waiting for him to agree.
"It happened when he as nine didn't it?"
Catherine was startled that he had guessed right. "Y-yes… I'm so sorry…"
"I should've known… after one night when we were gone… he was different…"
"Y-you look like hell…"
Grissom jumped at the voice. He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed Nick's eyes slowly open as he woke up.
"You might want to check out a mirror before making statements like that."
"Yeah… you… sometimes… sometimes I can't help it… help but wonder if the pain will ever go away…"
"Just give it time Nick… the saying is true… time can heal all wounds…"
"I'm not so sure, Griss… I don't… I'm not sure if I'll ever get better…"
"You're already doing better, Nick. I won't say it'll be easy. It won't be. This is going to be one hell of an uphill battle, but I want you to know that you've got a lot of people willing to help you…"
"What if… what if it's too late?" he whispered as he felt even more tears forming.
"It's not too late Nick… it… it can't be…"
Greg watched in silence as Archie played the security footage. The guy hadn't even bothered to cover his face, and he wasn't even questioned by anyone as he entered Grissom's office…
"Well… I guess we know these guys are confident… maybe they'll make a mistake…"
"Well, this is the only footage of him…"
"What? You mean we don't know if he left?"
"Uh… I guess not."
"I've got a bad feeling about this. Keep looking for any shots of him leaving… I've got to go find Catherine…"
He raced back into the hall, and he quickly popped into Catherine's new office. Where are you Catherine? It was the last thing he thought before he felt himself being thrown clear across the room and into a wall.
They had no warning. Warrick and Sara had been trying to reason why Nick always seemed to be the target. All they saw was a massive white and orange light engulf everything around them as they were thrown back.
Catherine was standing by the door. Her mind raced as Nick's parents sat in shock from the news they were never supposed to hear… I'm sorry Nick… I know you didn't want them to know, but… maybe it'll be better this way. Suddenly everything around them shook, and she felt her legs give way as her hands tried to stop her from crashing into a desk. The last thing she saw was Nick's parents struggling to maintain their balance before she felt a sharp pain in her forehead, and everything went black.
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter: Brass waits anxiously with various people as they watch firemen help hurry the evacuation only to find another surprise. Nick continues to talk to Grissom, and his supervisor continues to learn more about him. Catherine and the others get out of the lab. Catherine stops at nothing to make sure they get Grissom's message, before she gives Nick's parents the details to what Nick went through...